World Press Freedom Day

“Ensuring freedom for the media around the world is a priority. Independent, free and pluralistic media are central to good governance in democracies that are young and old.”

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed[i] the third of May to celebrate World Press Freedom Day in 1993, following the recommendation by the UNESCO’s General Conference in 1991, in the Windhoek Namibia Declaration[ii] “on Promoting an Independent and Pluralistic African Press” ​​in the face of years of violence by governments and authorities on the continent. The United Nations and UNESCO have chosen ” Information as a Public Good” to be the theme of this year’s World Press Freedom Day celebration, to serve “as a call to affirm the importance of cherishing information as a public good, and exploring what can be done in the production, distribution, and reception of content to strengthen journalism, and to advance transparency and empowerment while leaving no one behind. The theme is of urgent relevance to all countries across the world. It recognizes the changing communications system that is impacting on our health, our human rights, democracies, and sustainable development”[iii].